What you need to know
- A court banned the Pixel 7 in Japan after ruling Google used Pantech’s tech without a proper license.
- The patent beef is about how phones connect to cell towers, a core LTE stuff that’s supposed to be fairly shared under industry rules.
- The court called Google “insincere” more than once, which likely tipped the scales toward a full sales ban.
A Japanese court has issued a sales ban on the Google Pixel 7 series, a major blow for the company, especially since Japan has become one of its key strongholds outside the U.S.
According to a report from ETNews, a Japanese court ruled that Google’s Pixel 7 series stepped on Pantech’s patents, so now, those phones are officially off the shelves in the country.
The court’s decision came down to Google using Pantech’s standard-essential patents without proper licensing. These kinds of patents—like the one tied to “control signal mapping” for LTE—are supposed to be shared fairly across the industry under FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) terms. But in this case, the court says Google crossed the line.
Why the heavy hand?
Pantech claims Google has been using its patented method for how Pixel phones talk to cell towers without ever securing a license for it.
This kind of ruling is almost unheard of in Japan, with the news outlet stating that it’s actually the first time a product ban has been handed down over a standard patent issue.
So, what really pushed things over the edge? The court wasn’t impressed with Google’s attitude, calling it “insincere” more than once, which likely played a big role in the sales ban.
Timing softens the blow, but Pantech’s not done
With the Pixel 7 series nearing its third year, it’s basically at the end of the road. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 are already out, so this ban likely won’t put much of a dent in Google’s current sales in Japan.
In fact, Google has already pulled the Pixel 7 from its official store, so it’s no longer up for grabs directly. Still, Pantech isn’t letting up and is now gunning for a sales ban on the latest and greatest Pixels in Japan.
Japan has become a key battleground for Google. IDC data shows it grabbed the biggest market share gains there, riding a strong growth wave since Q2 2023. By year’s end, Google had pulled off a jaw-dropping 527% year-over-year jump in one of the toughest markets around.
If the ban spreads to newer Pixel models, it could hit Google a lot harder. That’d be a serious blow, especially since the company has been holding strong as one of the top players in Japan.
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